Well a few couples from our small group decided to send their boys to a Christian camp for 3 nights and 3 days. I thought that they were absolutely insane to send a 7 year old up there and they all looked at me like I was way over controlling. Maybe there is a little bit of truth in that but seriously he's only 7 people.
After calling the camp and talking through my 800 scenarios of "what if's". I decided that it was time for me to let go and let him have this experience with his friends. He of course couldn't wait to get away from us! Always so much a teenager trapped in a 7 years old body. He got the little brochure in the mail and just about read through it every night. Counting the days until the big day of going to camp.
Unfortunately, the camp dates were a day after Bjorn and I got back from vacation. After being away from us for 6 nights he actually said that he maybe didn't want to go to camp and stay home with Mom and Dad. I just about fell over at this comment as it was the last thing that I thought would ever come out of his mouth. Well that all changed in about 5 minutes of getting the list of what he needed to bring to camp.
He was grabbing clothes, sleeping bag and checking things off the list. The morning came and he was up as early as we were getting ready for the day of heading up to camp. I stayed busy going through the checklist to try and not think about the fact that I was going to be leaving my baby with complete strangers. At least they are Christian strangers, right?!?
Our friend's son rode along with us and the two boys couldn't have been cuter. Talking about what they were excited about to do at camp, how much they had in common and just "boy" things. We stopped for breakfast and met up with another of the boys from our small group and they all just clicked together as though they had been friends for their entire 7 years of life.
We got to camp, found the cabin and Torin went into straight teenage mode. Not wanting to give him a hug or really provide any level of affection to me. Then in his excitement he banged his head HARD on the bunk bed. I just about lost it, as it was really a hard hit. I could tell that he wanted to cry but was fighting it back to not be embarrassed. I went over to him and trying to fight my tears back said "are you okay sweetie?" His response was, gritting his teeth "I'm FINE Mom. Stop talking to me." Oh well for the sweetness of a 7 year old. I started to tell him about a time that I got my hair stuck in my brother's bunk beds and how it took awhile for him to untangle my hair out of the top bunk. He thought that was pretty funny and was back to himself....but no hugs :)
I left a little sad that I didn't get one last big hug from him but knew that it was just how it was going to be. He did say that he loved me so I guess I have to hang onto those words until I see the whites of his eyes on Saturday morning. I might just be the first parent there to pick him up :)
Here is a picture of the boys that he knew that he would have in his cabin. I hope to make this an annual tradition for him....
Hayden, Carter, Jacob and Torin
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